The Blog

We’re heading into the home stretch of Universal Orlando’sHalloween Horror Nights 23, and if you plan on facing the undead hordes you’ll need a good plan now more than ever. Luckily for you, we’ve been on the ground every weekend of the event so far, and have recorded over 300 pieces of wait-time data for the haunted houses.

Here’s the final result: field-tested touring plans, designed to help you tackle all eight mazes in a single evening without the use of extra-cost express passes — provided you pick the right night to attend (Wednesday or Thursday are best, Saturdays are worst, and Sunday can be surprisingly busy), arrive early, and stay late.

14. Walk around the park counter-clockwise, exploring the scarezones. Start with the “Fall of Atlanta” in New York (watch for victims-turned-walkers), walk towards the entrance and then up Hollywood through “Clear,” explore the burning barn (look in the well out back), and traverse the woods (home of the “deer eater” and legless “bicycle walker”) to the survivor’s camp outside KidZone, complete with Dale’s RV and gory projection effects.

15. Consider taking a break from the park in CityWalk; hold onto your ticket and have your hand stamped at the gate.

16. Return to the park 90 minutes before closing to experience any houses you missed or want to see again. Wait times drop dramatically in the last hour, and you can join the queue for a haunted house right up until closing time.

17. To avoid a traffic jam, leave the park 30 minutes before closing, or wait to be one of the last to exit.

Stay & Scream Option B:

1. Arrive at the park no later than 4:45pm and enter using a daytime ticket.

2. Proceed to the KidZone area, where you will show your HHN ticket and recieve a wristband.

13. Walk around the park counter-clockwise, exploring the scarezones. Start with the “Fall of Atlanta” in New York (watch for victims-turned-walkers), walk towards the entrance and then up Hollywood through “Clear”, explore the burning barn (look in the well out back), and traverse the woods (home of the “deer eater” and legless “bicycle walker”) to the survivor’s camp outside KidZone, complete with Dale’s RV and gory projection effects.

14. Consider taking a break from the park in CityWalk; hold onto your ticket and have your hand stamped at the gate.

15. Return to the park 90 minutes before closing to experience Cabin in the Woods and any other houses you missed or want to see again. Wait times drop dramatically in the last hour, and you can join the queue for a haunted house right up until closing time.

16. To avoid a traffic jam, leave the park 30 minutes before closing, or wait to be one of the last to exit.

General Admission:

1. Arrive at the park no later than 5:40pm and pass through the security checkpoint, using the “no bags” line to the left if possible.

2. Line up as close as possible to any turnstile (including the temporary ones at the center gate) and watch the pre-opening skit on the balcony above the ticket booths at approximately 5:50pm.

14. If you have only seen 3 or 4 houses at this point, you may want to bite the bullet and wait in line for one, but try to avoid any queues over 60 minutes

15. Walk around the park counter-clockwise, exploring the scarezones. Start with the “Fall of Atlanta” in New York (watch for victims-turned-walkers), walk towards the entrance and then up Hollywood through “Clear”, explore the burning barn (look in the well out back), and traverse the woods (home of the “deer eater” and legless “bicycle walker”) to the survivor’s camp outside KidZone, complete with Dale’s RV and gory projection effects.

16. Consider taking a break from the park in CityWalk; hold onto your ticket and have your hand stamped at the gate.

17. Return to the park 90 minutes before closing to experience Cabin in the Woods and any other houses you missed or want to see again. Wait times drop dramatically in the last hour, and you can join the queue for a haunted house right up until closing time.

18. To avoid a traffic jam, leave the park 30 minutes before closing, or wait to be one of the last to exit.